Difference Between Emo and Goth

Emo and Goth are actually distinctive in their own way ‘“ and their key differences are what we will try to uncover here.

First, here’s a quick definition of the two. Emo actually stands for emotional hardcore. It’s a type of punk rock music which originated in Washington during the mid-90s. Goth, on the other hand, has a much earlier origin dating back to the early 1980s and it’s the short term for Gothic rock.

Now, what are the similarities between the two? Basically, both emo and goth are forms of experimental underground music and hardcore punk. Their musical influences are basically the same, with punk as the root. Emo has stayed close to home when it comes to the musical influence while goth has veered off towards electronica.

More about music ‘“ goths usually listen to The Cure, Sisters of Mercy, Christian Death and Dead Can Dance. Emos have more of these types of music to listen to: Fall Out Boy, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Chiodos, My Chemical Romance and Dashboard Confessional.

Second, let’s enumerate the key differences between the two. As far as their personalities is concerned, the aura that goths and emos resonate is somewhat similar and are usually associated with depression, cutting, darkness and more of the not-so-pleasant aspects in life. However, you cannot categorize one particular type of personality as being solely goth or emo ‘“ it still varies.

How about their tastes in fashion? This one’s pretty easy. As mentioned earlier, the one color that they have in comon is black. But the similarities stop there. For goth, it’s black all the way except for those who belong to the raver or glitter-goth categories. Aside from an all-black ensemble, they also have black nail polish, lipstick and eyeliner. They also go all-out in the accessories department, using leather chokers, corsets, lace, frills or dangling jewelry. For emo, black is still a dominant color but they also like band t-shirts, tight jeans, scarves, hoodies and layered clothing.

Finally, there’s the difference that they have in culture influences and expression. Emos express themselves in poetry such as Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Howl’. They also make critiques based on post-punk and punk philosophy. Goth, on the other hand, has a sub-culture related to black magic, vampires, witchcraft, and their way of thinking veers more towards the nature of death, fiction and fantasy.

Now that you know the basic similarities and differences between emo and goth, it is pretty easy to distinguish one from the other, isn’t it?

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45 Comments

good job of studying the two….i believe most of all the difference in personally greatly shows…cas most of the time goths are secluded they arent really talkative bunch unless your talking about a subject that interest them…on the other hand emos can be that way too but only few actually are more of them are like partiers they love to rave about their favorite bands and what not but in the end both groups are trying to stand out but in the end as well they both fail at doing cas honestly its hard to stand out when the way you are trying to stand out by is actually consider a fad…i’ve listen to both goth rock and emo rock…….must note they are horrible……what happened to that good ole 80s hair metal that was pretty cool…even though i was born in the 90s i still find the guitar rifts in the songs amazing but as far as emo and goth bands go fairly limited talent among the band members its like they arent even trying to prove my point listen to 5 emo rock popular bands you’ll notice a shocking fact…..THEY ALL SOUND EXACTLY THE SAME………….just lazy….not even going to try to experiment with sound or anything…as for the goths i understand that its probably a aquired taste in that genre of music…but the main bases of both though they are ruled by their musical influnce just like MJ would wear a red jacket and a rinestone glove…his fans would do the same….but something i discovered is most goths act that way to get people to fear them not exactly the attention…unlike emos who crave attention and quote unquote “die for it”…..i wonder what’s next though……seriously people need to start seeing the great pleasure and blessing life is….but then again most of them are spoiled brats…….cas they say their parents hate them or they hate the world but whos putting out for all that expensive clothes seriously i’ve seen the stuff they wear and its EXPENSIVE…your going to have to be loaded to if you really want to be this way….tripp pants cost from 50-70 bucks good luck trying to express your inner darkness now……..i’m guessing no ones paying attention to the “k” fad thats going on in japan its like emo meets andragenist or however you spell it …laters

Ok first off I have to say I am impressed with the article. Nice coverage of both sides of the cultures. Now seeing how this is a reply thou it would be rather dumb to not make it such so anyways. To you King you really don’t know anything of the culture so let me make a not to fine point. Those people that go and complain about their family hating them…..yea that is the emo side of the house. I can’t tell you the amount of times the outsider looking in on the cultures got it completely wrong.

If people would get out of the US and experience the world you would see that the “Gothic” Side in say Germany is different then what you see here in the states. I am military and I have been a goth before I enlisted and it has not changed in the ten years I have been in. The way people make it seem here in the states is that all are down and ready to kill themselves. In Germany the “Gothic” culture us actually jumping and thriving. The listen to a wide range of music. The Brown Sugar Bar in Nuremberg caters to Punk and Goth. The Green Goose in the same city along with the Rockfabrik also play main stream rock. Disturbed, Korn, System of a Down. They also do blasts from the past like Hendricks, Rolling Stones and many more. It is only the Emo and Goth culture in the US giving the rest a bad name.

Now if you look in the right places you will find people that live the life and collect socially to just drink it up and shoot the S*%@. If you ever go to Jacksonville, FL look up “The Factory”. It is run out of a small club that changes it Genres threw out the week and on the night is becomes “The Factory” a lot of us Gothics get together for a great time consisting of drinks, friends and live shows. If you really sit down with the right groups you will find many great artists, musicians, poets. I have run with the Gothic scene for years nearly a decade and I and a lot of the “older” generation of Goths down agree with what the lifestyle has evolved into.

In short you can’t label anyone that is in the culture unless you really know it. Not everyone that is in it is rich or poor. Not everyone is suicidal or a Masochist. The Gothic stereotype has gotten a bad name for itself because of what people do see. If you really want to complain about it or make unjustified remarks do it after living the life for a year with the right people. I promise your view would change greatly.

Well I better go before I type everyone’s nerves away. In closing learn before you comment. The article covered a minor part of it all there is still a lot more that you should see. Take care all.

50/70 dollars for pants is cheap…. try 150 that’s cheap and I wear jeans that… why not just be your own person instead of following clicks to fit in or stand out… it’s not different than wearing all blue and being a cript… you know and my 150 jeans and buttons up are cheap to someone he’ll i went into Niem Marcus and the jeans were 800 it’s all relative.

ive scrolled through these comments after i was done reading the article and realized something… 85% of american people are complete idiots on the subject. alot of these people actually agree with a lie that states that emoes cut themselves. really if you dont agree with me walk up to one of the low i.q jocks and ask them what they think of emoes. 90% chance they will wrongly believe emoes cut themselves. emoes do NOT cut themselves. goths arent really picked on as much as emoes for this reason but goths still get bullied.

I swear to god your definition is wrong and by far the most offensive thing ever said… I’m emo yet still listen to some rock and pop my hair is black and short not red and they can use more than just red as a secondary color I wish that u actually studied before posting this because as of now I am really ashamed that you would write such offensive things and not all emos cut I don’t my ex doesn’t and my sister doesn’t so get your stuff Straight before you post anything online

When we’re talking High school Goths and Emos you can actually tell the difference.
Emos are more for solitude and the depression is a little obvious with them.

Goths are found mostly in groups and don’t go directly for the depressed look.
(Again, this is all based off of what I’VE seen)

When I sat with the goth group one day, they were talkative and really nice. The show a sense of pride toward who they are. Goth for them is mostly just what they love in culture and feel most comfortable with.

When I spent the day with an Emo (Again, solitude based) they were distant and had a lot of shame for who they are.

But, there are also emos who aren’t really emos at all. Goth and Emo is not only a type of person but a style. There are those who dress like such but don’t follow the “culture”
I know a rather happy and preppy girl who loves the emo style and also scene.
She doesn’t, but most people who do this also want to act how they dress and usually give you this fake emo facade.

These styles have been evolving and spreading for years and years and now it’s hard to tell who is Goth, who is Emo, and who just likes to dress a certain way.

Me? I’m just an observer who surrounds herself with many different types of people.

Okay so I’m gothic, and I talk to both gothic and emo people. And truth is there are different kinds of gothic stuff, gothic can just mean you like black! or it can be the religious gothic which is the scary type I do NOT like at all! Religious goth is all black (nails, hair, lipstick, eye make up, and clothing), it’s also some weird music and the vampire witch stuff. Then emo people are depressed people who cut them selfs and often don’t feel accepted anywhere, emo people will also take about any chance to “fit in” somewhere. And just cause someone is gothic or emo doesn’t mean that they are mean or “non social”. Also, gothic not always a way of life or a perspective of the world, it is sometimes just liking black! Many people today mix up gothic and religious gothic but you must recognize the difference cause they are completely different! If you look up gothic you will most likely get the definition of a person who wears all black, with the make up and nails and hair; along with the music and black magic witchcraft like in the article, but that for the last time is not gothic it’s RELIGIOUS GOTH! there is a difference and lots more people are regular gothic then most think! It’s not scary weirdo crap it’s just a mild sense of black fashion and sometimes but not always a little depression.

Ok, first I am Emo, but I don’t cut myself. Cutting yourself is not because your “Emo”, its because your trying to cope. Emo is a type of style, and music. NOT a mental issue (No offence, but if your cutting it is an issue. Please get help…), or a problem. Yes, a lot of Emo’s are depressed, and cut themselves. But there is a lot that aren’t depressed and they don’t cut themselves. So please before you post something do research and think about what your posting.

This is great! Anyone who has confused the two, or doesn’t think there’s a difference only has to read this article to get the general separation of the two. Obviously there are probably many different opinions (as I’ve been seeing) and there’s more sub-groups and whatnot, but its a great basic differentiation.

((There is also many stereotypes, but you know, stereotypes are often based off of truths.))

A few edits I would like to say, the term “Gothic Rock” isn’t really the term. It is “Industrial Rock/Metal”, but gothic people aren’t just tied to that one sub-genre. Industrial has actually been around since the 70’s, not 80’s. There are many sub-genres that were made in 80’s/90’s though. There has been however a band (Cromagnon) that released an album in 1969 that is now considered Industrial. Also, it’s not JUST about the music, the Gothic culture has been around for thousands of years, and has actually had their own language. Emo people love to complain about how “their life is so miserable and no one understands them” when in reality the majority of them have an middle or upper class home life with plenty of friends. Gothic people are usually the outcasts that no one ever gave a chance in elementary/middle school and they tend to hate the majority of everyone. From a Gothic kid’s view on emo’s, it is “They are whiny pussies that can’t get over life’s problems so they cut themselves.” Sorry if I rambled. This is a very interesting post, and it is a good way to educate the ignorance of American youth.

Bands like Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, Faith and the Muse, Clan of Xymox, Christian Death, 45 Grave, sound absolutely NOTHING like Rammstein or Throbbing Gristle or any of that industrial stuff.

im emo but goth is easy to tell apart from emo usally emo has straight hair or kinda bed head hair and alot of colors in it most of the time and
they wear band tees skinnys and converse and goth is kinda either from what ive seen black red or black or black and white or something like that and like with us were laid back and more calm and kinda shy and nice but like some goth they are hyper they can be mean and they are to me they seem kinda mad like there angry or something

Ok….. So I would just like to put out there that not all “goths” and “emos” copy eachother. I personally wear a mix of the two as well as punk. My friend does something quite similar but leans towards “emo” a little more. Also, just because some one wears darker clothes and complains about their parents doesn’t mean they are “emo”. A lot of parents tend to misunderstand their darkly dressed children and can actually be quite cruel to them. Trust me, I know from personal experience. Lastly, I would just like to add that if some one cuts that doesn’t necessarily make them “emo”. True, there are some people who do it for attention but everyone is different. We’re all human guys; shit happens! ;D ANYWAYS great job on the article!

Also, there are many types of Goths but only one kind of Emo. Goths can be further divided into Victorian Goths; these are the Goths who get there style and personality straight from the Renaissance or dark ages, Emo Goths; these are the Goths who are more Emo in both style and personality yet has a more Gothic demeanor or approach, Punks Goth; these are the ones who as mentioned before wear more flaring clothing, and Mixed Goths; these are the ones whose style usually varies depending on mood or random choice.
Emos, and i mean no insult by saying this, are simply a one style group who’s clothing stay simple as they spend most of their time wanting attention while at the same time avoid attention. They enjoy being themselves yet at the same time lack the pride of Goths and still secretly wish they were someone else.
And as for me, if you were wondering, I am a Victorian Goth.

Never seen a more inaccurate description.
There isn’t all these “different kinds of goths”, there’s traditional goth, deathrocker and darkwaver (romantic goth) and that’s it. Everything else is either its own separate subculture (Cybergoth, Rivethead, Steampunk, etc), its own fashion (pastel goth, and so on) or doesn’t exist (“Mixed” goth, Renaissance/Victorian/Edwardian goth). Period fashion is not goth. Period (no pun intended).

There’s goth, goth and goth, because at the end of the day, it’s the music that’s the most important factor, not fashion, and not calling yourself a “bubble pastel faerie goth”.
We’re so obsessed with the fashion, who’s got more studs on their jacket and who’s got the best black lipstick, that we’re forgetting the most important part of what is actually means to be a goth. The subculture is continued by goths going to see their favourite goth bands, buying their merch and listening to their CDs. It’s not survived by people buying expensive, mass market, off-the-rack full goth outfits.

Lastly, emo is a completely separate scene/subgenre from goth and the two have not mixed into a new subculture. If you’re into goth, as much as you’re into emo, then you’ve got two separate and different interests there. They are not blended together, like you wouldn’t become a “Gothic metalhead” if you were a goth and a metalhead. You’d just be a goth and a metalhead.
I’m into loads of types of emo music, like emotive hardcore, Midwest emo, skramz (screamo) and even some emo pop punk (which isn’t really emo anyway) and I’m into a whole lot of goth like goth rock, darkwave, deathrock, etc, and I don’t call myself an ’emo goth’.

I will not leave an overly long response as what I have to say is quite simple. This article, in my opinion, is completely biased and overly incorrect. It in fact makes them sound incredibly similar, which is not true. though they may have close roots they both took completely opposite directions. Also, these two subcultures are not simply fashion statements and music but delve deeper into being ways of thinking and lifestyles.

I’m glad to have found an article that tells you their real differences. Many people say that they are the same but they have many differences, as similarities. I am Emo, I’ll admit to that but I am not gothic. I listen to bands like Black Veil Brides, Asking Alexandria and the occasional All Time Low (though it isn’t classed as a hardcore band, more punk/rock) and I have cut before. Goths aren’t known to cut, only emo’s. Emo’s can be really happy and bright people once they let you in. If they suffer emotional pain, anger and/or depression, they find it extremely hard to break down their walls and barriers. They feel it keeps them safe. Most emo’s express their pain through poetry but I’m not a very big fan of it. Not all emo’s cut, like not all goths worship some kind of “ruler”. Example some might worship Satan or some might worship another religious god. The majority of Emo’s believe in god, like I.

In my personal opinion, neither are outsiders and they find it even harder when people say they’re just doing this stuff for attention. They feel as if they are hated and unloved, that people don’t approve of them and they just want to find a way out. I have felt all of this and it is very hard to cope with, even if you aren’t classed as ‘Emo’ or ‘Gothic’.

Being Emo doesn’t always mean you cut yourself. It’s a way of expressing your emotions through music, art, and style. Although I’m not saying that all emo’s don’t cut themselves ( which I don’t cut myself). Some emo’s prefer hanging out with others like them so they can have that feeling of being secure and not worrying about what others think about them (almost like a support group) while others tend to draw attention to themselves. You can be who ever you want to be as long as it makes YOU happy!

I agree but actually Goths outside the ”glitter/lolita” scene also wear other dark colors like blood red, deep ocean blue or grass or what i like to call it ”weed” green and Goths write a lot of poetry, all of the Goth songs are poetry , try a song like ”Cthulhu rises” or ”Sinew of Anguish”. i used to be what people call ”Emo” but then i got more interested in Metal, dark lifestyle, make-up and all that stuff but a lot of your information is correct.

I agree but actually Goths outside the ”glitter/lolita” scene also wear other dark colors like blood red, deep ocean blue or grass or what i like to call it ”weed” green and Goths write a lot of poetry, all of the Goth songs are poetry , try a song like ”Cthulhu rises” or ”Sinew of Anguish”. i used to be what people call ”Emo” but then i got more interested in Metal, dark lifestyle, make-up and all that stuff but a lot of your information is correct. For those who wonder, i am a Victorian Goth now who listens to Heavy Metal, Doom Metal, Metalcore, Death Metal, Deathcore, Groovemetal, Thrash Metal and Nu-Metal, i am religious, a muslim, but i don’t believe that a thing like ”Sin” exist, i hope that one day we all will live in a darker place but in peace, i like SteamPunk a lot, i wear make-up, i loooooove self-destruction and i make music, write poems, act and paint.

hello this article was i guess educational but some things were off putting to me maybe im just different or young or whatever but i like hardcore music like fall out boy and black veil brides but i also listen to songs like say something and i listen to nickel back and that kind of stuff. im also a otaku which means anime expert or lover. anyway my choice of music varies from heavy metal to soft and cuddly because i listen to music that is well connected to my heart and inner feelings. i do not cut myself i mean sometimes by accident but never on purpose. i like dark clothing like i have a all black,or a very dark blue, clothing choices and i like just sitting in the dark at night and i do not like light when im thinking. i guess im a mix of emo and goth. i honestly i hate attention i have 4 friends and thats all i need because they understand me kinda. i have daddy issues you could say and i have deep depression issue you could say because well the crap i went through i should be able to have depression issues. i will not tell you what i went through because that has not worked out before and people have made fun of me as a child for having these issues. it has gotten so bad i dont see my father nor do i talk to him. i do not complain about hi in any way. yes i don wish i had someone that understood every fiber of my being but thats impossible. so you could say im a mix of emo and goth but i think of myself as myself. there’s one other thing i had a sledding accident and i had ten hours of surgery but the point is that ever since then i have not felt happiness weird right so i may be messed up or cruel (i dont show mercy) and you may call me any names you want but hurt my friends make fun of my friends your dead im not saying empty threats i mean i will be sent to Juvenal prison then prison for man slaughter and i will be laughing at you the whole time for you got what you deserved. the reason is i value my friendship so much death is nothing i am not afraid of dieing or any injuries for thats how much im willing to give up to protect my friends. but theres on other piece of advice i want to leave you with its better to live for your friends then die for them because then you will have caused more damage then ment to. your emo/goth connor

You obviously are not goth making this blog. I however am. See basically in about the early mid 90’s which you were correct on was when emos came about.

You see emos were spawned from the goth scene much in the way of how goth stemmed and spawned from the punk scene. Where the diversity plays in here is that emos are pathetic and overly emotional. These are the kids or adults for that matter that need meds because it came from a few bipolar twats that were on the low side of a manic bipolar trip.

Goths in essence will curb stomp emos. Well save for the cute emo girls that we might try to convert.

They are the red headed step child of goths.

Outside of that goth is a subculture. Emo is a fad. Emo is what you do when your life is too pathetic and you want attention.

One thing that I can describe to emos is something back in around 2001 I used to say about some people. Being in the goth scene is like going away to camp. Some stay on to be counselors. The rest when they go home are normal. Suck it emos, your time on this earth is temporary.

Oh and btw. Emos write but it is usually candy ass shit that is low and miles beneath the Raven. Actually goths are way more talented in both poems, songs and performing. Emos are just very one dimensional.

I’m getting sick of some of these comments! I used to self harm and I have severe depression. I wear band tshirts, jeans, hoodies, and converse. I listen to bands like Fall Out Boy, Pierce the Veil, Sleeping with Sirens, My Chemical Romance, and All Time Low. I’m self conscious and I have moderate anxiety, but I’m not f*****g emo!!! I’m getting tired of people calling me emo because of a stupid stereotype!

I will admit that this is an interesting article. The comments are even more interesting. Except for the judgmental idiots, everyone has opinions that aren’t quite agreeing. I suppose I’ll add mine into the mix.
Personally, I believe that goths and emos are somewhat similar, but yes, they are different. From my observations, goths lean more towards elegance and classiness, while emos have more of a punkish style. Not to say they are merely punks, but they don’t have the same atmosphere around them that goths carry. I’m not stating that all goths are darker versions of nobility, or however you want to put it, they just have a casual grace.
Emos are not all suicidal people who do nothing but complain about life and show off their self harm. Yes, some do self harm. Some actually are depressed. However, they don’t show every person in sight. If someone does that, they are nothing but an attention seeking prat.
Goths, like earlier stated, are a bit more elegant. Not all of them, no, but most are somewhat classier than your average person. I am not going through tons of research to lecture on subtypes, but I am aware of goths who are not focused on such, but rather prefer to go out and rave, or something. Not an expert, here.
I personally am a mix of a few different subcultures, but that doesn’t mean I know everything about it. I like the classier, gothic styles. I also like a few, more emo things, such as their music. I have been told various times that I seem like a punk with my attitude. I’m not well versed in the ‘scene’ thing, so I’m not going to try and classify myself as it.
Over all, black is the main color for both types. We both have some vested interest in poetry, though I myself am rubbish at it. Most of us come off as rather scary. We are actually nice people when you get to know us, though we appear to be antisocial at first.
I’m not going to further give reason to my opinions, and spare you guys the ramshackle lecture my sleep-deprived brain is sure to come up with. Well spare you guys more lecturing, really. Gah, my brain hurts.

This seems to me, as a goth, to be more accurate than the actual article it is in response to.
The actual article looks like it was assigned to someone an they cherry picked the first articles that popped up on goggle.

Thank you, I tried. Having poked around a bit more, I have learned that I am classified as an emo goth, with punk influences. Really, we are all part of the same extended family, so we should act like it and not pick on each other and defend everyone against haters.

Got to be honest, I came back to read the ramblings of my younger self I.E KingofEarth. I got to say I’m surprised the conversation is still on-going. My perspective however has long since changed and honestly why even bother trying to figure it out. Its more or less that individual’s choice right?

Well it’s nice you’ve got a different perspective, I’ve come a long way myself.

If you have time, or like to read, I’d like to recommend “Some Wear Leather, Some Wear Lace” by Andi Harriman. I’m doing an assignment on the Goth subculture for college, and even though I’ve been part of the subculture for over 5 years (actively), it’s really helped me understand what it was like during the early / Batcave days of the subculture.

Goth and metal are two different genres of music / subcultures. I’m goth, and I don’t even listen to that much metal so I’m not a “lost metalhead” or anything, I’m just part of a different subculture.

As for Emo, it was originally a sub-genre of hardcore punk standing for emotive hardcore like the author said. Bringing opinions / prejudice into this doesn’t really help. You have to look at the actual facts here. Both subcultures or sub-genres have more background than you think.

I will agree on some of your points but the one thing that isn’t necessary is the common stereotypes. I feel like you could’ve done more research on these subjects or even ask an individual who’s into these subcultures and fashion style

I actually think this is pretty accurate. Of course there are faults, but all around, this is very well made. And I respect that you, the author, didn’t put any opinion into this. But, there could be a bit more explanation.

Goth and emo can be hard to tell apart at a glance but gothic people tend to like more accessories and more monochrome and darker colours (Unless you are pastel or cyber goth). I’m a Cyber Goth and I can tell emo usually like to stick with mostly simple clothes (hoodie, shirt, jeans, converse, and a couple of belts) along with arms filled with bracelets. Goths usually tend to keep to monochrome scheme and love to wear necklaces, earrings, piercings, belts, bracelets, gloves, and many other accessories. Not all goths are into witchery and occults, some just like to dress that way and listen to that kind of music. I switch between Cyber Goth and Goth at times. I think people just group them together since they share similarities but they are different. I do notice that the Emo culture is more music based as opposed to goth.
Comment if you have a question! 🙂

And being both “Goth” and “Cybergoth” isn’t as easy as you think, because Goth requires a heavy taste of Goth rock and Cybergoth is a subculture derived from rave, rivethead and goth meaning their music taste is primarily EBM musicians. I don’t really think people can just change in and out of subculture like that. Fair enough if your music taste is half Goth rock and half EBM but a lot of original Goths and Deathrockers would have a problem with that and you might see what I mean if you do a bit more research.
I’m not trying to be patronizing or anything, it’s just because they’re two different subcultures and I don’t know how much you know on the subject.

As for Emo, today’s Emo is actually “Emo pop punk”. It’s a different thing to what Emo actually is (a sub-genre of hardcore punk formed out of the D.C scene in the mid 80s). Emo pop is a fusion of (guess which two subcultures) and most kids who claim to be “emo” are either emo pop punk kids (kids who listen to this genre. Some bands may be MCR, Paramore, FOB etc), scene kids (kids who are mislabelling themselves completely. Bands like BOTDF, Jeffree Star, BVB etc) or poseurs (someone who listens to neither and refuses to do any research on the matter).

It started off good, don’t get me wrong, but towards the end it was just like “How is this related to Goth or Emo?”.

If you’re going to talk about the differences (or rather, similarities) you have to talk background, history and roots otherwise it becomes your perspective and opinion. And you can’t back up opinions.

Not to mention you’ve got Emo and Emo pop punk mixed up. Emo didn’t “evolve”; there are still real emo bands around today (original D.C hardcore sound) it just grew more sub-genres and fusions like emo pop punk, skramz (screamo), powerviolence and emoviolence (god forbid the poseurs get within ear shot of those terms).

To talk about Emo, you’ve got to talk about pretty much all the types starting from emotive hardcore, and then 90s emo (which was more melodic mixed with indie / alternative), 00s Emo (which started becoming poppy and mediocre) and then Emo pop punk, which was bands like My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Fall Out Boy and Paramore since they were all mixed with pop punk with emo characteristics. Hell, even MCRs debut album had emo/hardcore punk influences. But when they reached the mainstream they basically sold out and became made for the masses.

Goth, on the other hand, is a lot more than Emo ever was or will be. To this day “Emo” can only really be defined as a “music genre” or, in non-formal terms, a “phase” whereas Goth is a an entire subculture. Sure you’ve heard of Gothic literature, Gothic architecture and perhaps the barbarian Germanic tribe that was one of the causes of the downfall of Rome, but the subculture is a thing of today (and it’s pretty diverse, spawning different subcultures / fashions like Cybergoth and Pastel goth (as much as I hate to admit it)).

The subculture itself spawned from “campy” horror movies, Gothic literature and post-punk in the early 80s. Goth rock itself was born when Bauhaus released their debut single “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” in August of 1979, eventually making fans of this type of music “goths” (and there’s no reason why that should change today). Other bands began using Gothic characteristics in their music, most notably Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure (even though they’re not really a Goth band. They have a few Goth albums but overall, they’re pretty varied in genre).

Fashion is an aspect of the subculture, but it’s not as important as music is. Goth fashion comes from a mix of Victorian mourning attire, horror movies and DIY (as “Goth clothes” weren’t something you could just walk into a store and buy; you had to make them). It’s known where the fashion came from (according to a quote in Some Wear Leather, Some Wear Lace), but Goth band members wore this so so did the fans. For example, Siouxsie Sioux inspired girls to back comb their hair and decorate their eyes in Cleopatra style whereas bands like Bauhaus, Robert Smith (of the Cure), Specimen and Dave Vanian (of The Damned) inspired male fashion.

Of course the fans didn’t want to directly copy their idols, so they changed it up a bit but kept it within the theme. That’s where the DIY comes in, because you can’t preach individuality if you’re buying clothes from a store that thousands of other goths, metalheads or punks already own. Goth is being creative.

Lastly, is the aesthetic. Most people get into Goth because of that. They know they’re dark, interested in things that most people aren’t and a bit “different”. Sooner or later they discover the Goth subculture and realise that that’s who they are. So from there, they research Goth and delve into it, developing their own style as they grow.

As a conclusion, the only similarities that both of these have is the fact that they’re misunderstood to the point where they become meaningless (in ignorance’s eyes) and they’re both from sub-genres of punk (hardcore punk = emo, post-punk = goth). Besides from that, they’re both completely different and it’s like comparing scene and hippie because they both wear bright colours.

If you haven’t already, I recommend checking out the book “Some Wear Leather, Some Wear Lace” as that’s taught me a lot about the Goth subculture and I’ve been into it for almost 8 years.

You know goth isn’t about wearing all black, right?
Also, why come on here just to comment about how “all emos are stupid” when you’ve never personally met them all?

I don’t understand why we spend time attacking other members of subcultures when outsiders/non-goths get attacked for being who they are all the time. You’d think there’d be a lot less infighting because of this, but, no.

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Written by : Mabelle.
and updated on February 20, 2011

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